Chapter 617: Chapter 617: You Don’t Need to Pretend in Front of Us
After Xuan Long left to confront the Teng Clan, Su Qinglan exhaled slowly, yet the fury in her chest only burned hotter.
Now that she knew everything that had happened in Dragon Beast City during her absence, her anger surged.
The Teng Clan had invaded their home, injured her family, captured her beast husbands, and terrified her cubs. Just thinking about it made her fists clench. If not for her heavy pregnancy, she would have stormed the battlefield herself.
But both the old healer and Xiao San had stopped her.
The little cub had nearly burst into tears the moment she mentioned going near the fight. He wrapped his small arms tightly around her leg and refused to let go.
"Mother can’t go!" His voice trembled. "They will hurt Mother!"
The panic in his eyes broke her heart. In the end, she had to promise repeatedly that she would only watch from afar and stay safe before he finally calmed down.
Even now, Su Qinglan’s heart ached remembering it.
Xiao San had always been stubborn, he rarely cried even when hungry or upset. Yet today he had cried over and over. What exactly had those people done to him?
The little cub was still curled in her arms, face buried against her shoulder, tiny hands clutching her clothes as if afraid she would vanish.
Su Qinglan stroked his hair gently. "It’s alright. Mother is here. No one can take you away anymore."
Suddenly, two small figures rushed toward them from a distance.
Her tiger cubs.
The moment they saw her, their eyes lit up. "Mother! Mother!"
They flew straight into her embrace. Su Qinglan knelt despite her pregnant belly, one arm still holding Xiao San while the other welcomed them.
The impact nearly knocked her back as both cubs licked her cheeks and hands frantically, as if confirming she was real.
"I’m here," she laughed softly. "Mother is here."
Xiao San, who had been pretending to sleep, slowly opened his eyes. Seeing his older brothers, tears instantly flooded them.
"Waaah!"
He stretched out his arms and hugged them tightly. The tiger cubs froze for a second, then began crying too.
For a moment, the three cubs clung to each other, bodies trembling with sobs.
Su Qinglan’s heart melted and ached at the same time. They must have been terrified. She rubbed their backs gently.
"My babies, what happened? Why are you all crying? Mother is here now. No one will hurt you anymore."
After a long while, the tears finally stopped. The tiger cubs shifted back to human form, their faces still wet.
Su Qinglan pulled all three children close, wiping their tear-stained cheeks one by one. Though they had grown bigger and her belly was heavy, she refused to let go.
Her cubs had clearly been traumatized. They were unusually clingy, refusing to leave her warmth. Yet no matter how gently she asked, none of them would speak about what happened to them...especially Xiao San.
"I’m fine," he kept saying, shaking his head.
"Nothing happened. I was only worried about Father."
The old healer also avoided her questions, quickly changing the subject each time. It was obvious he was hiding something, so she wouldn’t scared herself to early labour.
Su Qinglan’s eyes darkened with a dangerous glint as she hugged her children tighter. She would find out the truth eventually. And when she did, the Teng Clan would pay dearly for every tear her cubs had shed.
No matter how chaotic the battles outside became, as long as her family returned safely, everything else could wait.
When Han Jue and Hu Yan finally reached her, they found Su Qinglan wiping down the cubs with a damp cloth. The moment she noticed them, a warm smile bloomed on her face.
Both men were instantly dazzled by her smile. Yet they lowered their heads at once, unable to meet her eyes.
Shame and guilt weighed heavily on their hearts. They had failed to rescue her, failed to protect her, and worst of all, failed to protect their own cubs.
Would she detest them once she learned the full truth?
They had been so excited to see her and confirm she was safe. But now that she stood right in front of them, they suddenly didn’t know what to do.
Su Qinglan gently patted the cubs’ heads. "You three stay here and keep your brother company. Mother is going to see Father Han Jue and Father Hu Yan, okay?"
The cubs nodded obediently while drinking their milk in big gulps. They were clearly very hungry. Their curious eyes kept darting toward their fathers, wondering why they stood so far away and didn’t come closer.
Su Qinglan didn’t dwell on it. She walked straight toward the two men.
Reaching out, she smoothed the white fur on Han Jue’s body. He almost flinched at her touch.
She noticed the many injuries covering both of them but asked no questions. Silently, she healed all of Han Jue’s wounds first, then Hu Yan’s.
Afterward, she sighed softly.
"Are you going to stay in beast form or transform back? Let me see your injury. It’s not convenient like this...your fur is really heavy."
Both men immediately obeyed. They transformed back into human form right in front of her, completely naked.
Su Qinglan quickly threw their clothes toward them. "You two are so weird. Why are you standing naked in front of the kids?"
They caught the clothes and dressed in silence.
She could see they were still tense and quiet. With another soft sigh, she realized they were just as terrified as the cubs. She should have comforted them too.
Opening her arms, she said gently, "Come here."
Both men stepped forward at once. They bowed their heads and hugged her tightly.
Su Qinglan pulled them closer, making them lean their heads on either side of her shoulders. She patted their heads softly.
"If something happened, just tell me. I will solve it for you. Don’t sulk like this. Your handsome faces look ugly when you frown."
She had already healed every minor scratch on their bodies. She knew they were blaming themselves.
That was why she chose to pretend everything was fine. She didn’t blame them at all.
In this world, a beast husband who failed to protect his female often fell into deep guilt that could even cost them their lives. Their hearts were fragile in that way.
She didn’t want to ask what had happened. She simply wanted them to feel safe.
Suddenly, both men circled their arms around her and kissed her cheeks at the same time.
Su Qinglan giggled. "So now you’re taking advantage of me? I only allowed you to lean on me, not kiss."
Su Qinglan’s giggle had barely faded when both men suddenly froze.
The light atmosphere vanished in an instant. Hu Yan and Han Jue looked at her with deep, complicated eyes. Guilt, shame, and self-blame weighed heavily on their faces.
"Lan Lan," Hu Yan said hoarsely, "you don’t need to pretend in front of us."
Su Qinglan’s fingers paused on his hair.
Han Jue lowered his head further, his usual cold expression now dim. "We know you’re trying to comfort us," he added, his voice calm but trembling slightly.
Su Qinglan’s smile slowly disappeared. The two men knelt beside her, one on each side, neither daring to meet her eyes.
